The scheduled grand reopening of the Central Eureka Mine in Sutter Creek has been postponed due to possible contamination in soil samples taken by the California Department of Toxic Control Substances.

The city's staff has been working with the California Youth Authority in an effort to make sure the mine was ready for the event, but due to the possibility of risk associated with the soil samples, the reopening has been put on hold.

Fill dirt over the native soil and covering that fill dirt with gravel would have alleviated the concerns of the DTSC engineer. However, the CYA crew has left the site and will not likely return to finish the project, leaving only the headframe accessible to the public.

"Although the safety risk associated with the event would effectively be eliminated by graveling the upper portion of the mine site, the (city) council postponed the event until the Remedial Action Workplan is completed," said Assistant City Manager Sean Rabe.

As for when the workplan would be completed, Rabe added, "That date is uncertain."